Model building construction



April 27, 1954 P. BERG 2,676,420 MODEL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1951 INVENTOR. PA UL BERG 43 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,676,420 MODEL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Paul Berg, Fort Wayne, Ind. Application June 9, 1951, Serial No. 230,728

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to miniature building models and more especially to a model building construction especially adapted for educational exhibitions and demonstration purp ses.

The prior art includes many different types of structures adapted to be assembled as model buildings, but they are primarily directed to use as toys. The various components of the structure are of opaque materials, and when assembled form a model building which does not illustrate the interior arrangement of floors, columns, and other building components. Being opaque it is impossible to utilize the interior for supporting model machinery and other types of equipment The principal object of this invention is to provide a model building construction especially adapted to illustrate the floor and column arrangements of a full-size building together with the disposition of model machines or other manufacturing equipment on the various floors of the building.

Another object of this invention is to provide a model building construction which is substan- A further object of this invention is to provide a model building construction which is readily expandable in vertical and horizontal directions.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a model building construction comprising flat floor members perforated at the corners thereof and column members comprising at one end horizontal plates having dowel members adapted to anchor the floor members and superimposed column members, and at the other ends flat plate members having apertures adapted to receive the dowel members.

For a better understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view partially in'section of a model building construction as provided in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 of the drawings is a fragmentaryperv spective view.

Figure 3 of the drawings is a detail of a modified column member.

In accordance vided a model a fiat floor plate l0 having an aperture such as H at each corner thereof. Each plate may be of suitable size to represent what is commonly designated as a bay in factories and warehouses. The second element comprises a column consisting of a vertical shaft 64, a lower plate l5, and an upper plate Hi. The lower plate !5 is provided with four apertures l7 arranged in square relationship to one another. The plate 16, fixed to the upper end of shaft i4, is provided with four dowel members 20 arranged in the same relation to one another as are the holes I! in plate it. By providing this square relationship of apertures I? and dowels 2E! respectively, there is universality of fit between columns. Also, by spacing aperture II a distance from the edges of the floor plates equal to one half the spacing of dowels 20, there is provided universality of fit between the plates and the dowels of the columns whereby a group of any four floor plates may be mounted on any given plates 58. Dowels 26 are equal in projected length to the combined thickness of the floor plate It] and that of the bottom plate l5 so that they may extend through both of these members as will be described subsequently.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate the method of assembling the plates and columns to form a plurality of superimposed floors similar to those of a full scale manufacturing building or warehouse. To assemble a three-story building, a group of four columns may be erected in rectangular relationship to one another so that a plate 25 may be superimposed on the dowels thereof. For example, one corner of plate 2! may be placed to receive dowel 22 of column 23. The proper dowels of the other three columns may be inserted in the corner apertures of floor plate 2! whereby floor plate 2! is completely supported on four columns. To extend the structure, another plate, such as plate 24, may be placed adjacent to plate 2i with its left-hand corner apertures fitting over the dowel 25 of column 23 and the dowel of the column situated behind column 23. Another pair of columns may be erected to the right (Figure l) of column 23 (not shown) whereby plate 2d may be completely supported by column 23, the column behind it, and the additional pair of columns. Other columns may then be erected behind the first six columns and to the sides thereof so that any desired number of additional plates may be placed around plates 2| and 24 with their corner apertures over the appropriate dowels of the other columns to form a first floor of the particularly desired area. It should be noted that the structure may be extended in every horizontal direction to whatever degree may be desired.

A second and other floors may be added by superimposing columns, such as 34, over the exposed ends of the dowels in the lower column. As stated hereinbefore, the dowels project far enough from the upper plates not only to extend through the floor plates but through the lower plates of each column. Thus, any desired number of floors may be stacked vertically, thereby to erect as many floors as may be desired- Considerable rigidity of structure is provided by having a reasonably close fit between dowels 29 and aperture 11 whereby a completed model may have any desired number of stories without danger of collapse.

If it is desired to provide intermediate floors or platforms such, for example, as a support below a first floor for supporting model railroad tracks and a model freight car in order to simulate a loading platform, column members may be provided with an intermediate plate such as plate 35 which is provided with dowels 39 thereby to support intermediate floor plates, for example, halfway between the normal floors.

In utilizing this invention for educational, exhibition or demonstration purposes, model machinery or other equipment may be mounted on the floors in the same relationship that they would have in a full-scale building. For example, if it is desired to illustrate the disposition of feed-mill machinery which has feed bins occupying or extending between more than one floor, a simulated bin such as bin 49 may be made up of sections 4|, 42 and 43. Since the floors and columns are of transparent material, such, for example, as Lucite, the bin 40 gives the appearance of being a continuous structure, even though the sections 4!, 42 and 43 are mounted on different floors above one another. Miniature mixing machinery and conveyors may, of course, be mounted on the doors in proper relation to the bin 40. Chutes and ventilating apparatus or ducts may be similarly assembled as illustrated by the chute 59, which is arranged in sections 52, 53 and 54, each section being. adapted to be mounted on one of the floors of. the building in: alignment with the other sections, thus giving the illusion of being a continuous member. The provision of sectionalized equipment such as bin 60 and chute ing the length of columns l4 whereby they are of uniform length and permit erection of bins and the like between any desired group of floors.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that there is provided in accordance with this inventio a model building construction which is flexible in its method of assembly, thereby to provide a construction which is adapted to build up and simulate any desired number of floors of a building. The model may have wings extending in any desired direction from a main building each wing having the desired number of bays, each floor plate representing a bay. Since the model consists of floor plates and columns, it presents the usual type of factory building construction and being transparent it is readily adaptable to the arrangement of model machinery in accordance with the plan best adapted for the particular manufacturing operation which is being demonstrated. Furthermore, the best 50 is made possible by standardizprising a shaft, a foot plate plan may be selected by trial of successive rearrangements of such machinery. The provision of columns is not only advantageous as a structural feature but is also important in that it permits arrangement of equipment relative to the columns. This is a definite advantage over a model structure which does not include columns. While the invention has been disclosed in connection with model buildings adapted to exhibit machinery and other equipment, it will also be evident to those skilled in the art that this invention is readily adaptable to toy building sets and possibly full-scale display shelving such as may be used for show-window advertising displays.

While there has been described what is at present considered the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A model building construction comprising a vertical column comprising a shaft, a foot plate having an aperture at the corner thereof, and a top plate having a dowel at the corner thereof; and a floor plate having an aperture at the corner thereof for receiving said dowel, said dowel being long enough to extend through the floor plate and a superimposed foot plate.

2. A model building construction comprising a plurality of vertical columns each column comprising a shaft, a foot plate having an aperture at the corner thereof, and a top plate having a dowel at the corner thereof, and rectangular floor plates having an aperture at the corner thereof for receiving said dowel, said dowel being long enough to extend through a floor plate and a superimposed foot plate.

3. A model building construction comprising a plurality of vertical columns each column comhaving an aperture at each corner thereof, and a top plate having a dowel at each corner thereof, and having the same spacing as said apertures; and floor plates having an aperture at each corner thereof for receiving one of said dowels, said dowels being long enough to extend through a floor plate and a superimposed foot plate.

4. A model building construction comprising a plurality of vertical columns each column comprising a shaft, a rectangular foot plate having an aperture at each corner thereof and equidistant from one another, and a top plate having a dowel at each corner thereof, and having the same spacing as said apertures; and rectangular floor plates having an aperture at each corner thereof spaced from the sides of said floor plates a distance equal to one half the spacing between said dowels for receiving one of said dowels, said dowels being long enough to extend through a floor plate and a superimposed foot plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 311,793 Stranders Feb. 3, 1885 1,671,505 Bemis May 29, 1928 2,086,009 Walker July 6, 1937 2,284,458 Van Antwerp May 26, 1942 2,523,508 Ledgett Sept. 26, 1950 

